Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the Deputy that the criteria for obtaining an Employment Permit for healthcare assistants is set by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

My Department's role relates to the immigration legislation and procedures which apply to persons granted an Employment Permit. These include the requirement to apply for a Visa to travel to the State, where the person is a visa required national. In addition, on arrival in the State holders of an Employment Permit will be required to register at their local Immigration office where they will be granted a Stamp 1 immigration permission.

Where a healthcare worker wishes to be joined in the State by their family members the conditions attaching to such applications are as set out in the Immigration Services Policy Document on Non EEA Family Reunification, available here: www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Policy-document-on-Non-EEA-family-reunification.pdf.

This Policy Document was last updated in 2016 and is currently being reviewed.

I can further advise the Deputy that work is underway to revise the current system whereby employment permits and immigration permissions are dealt with separately, with a view to improving the user experience and enhancing Ireland’s competitiveness in attracting skilled migrant workers. The Government agreed in principle late last year that a single application procedure for employment permits and immigration permissions should be developed and that an Inter Departmental Working Group should be established to develop an implementation plan for consideration by Government.

The Inter-departmental Working Group is examining the operational, policy and legal considerations of simplifying the process for employment permits and immigration permissions to improve on timelines to secure critical skill workers. The Working Group aims to report back to government with an implementations plan and associated timelines later this year. The Working Group’s report will also allow Government to consider opting-in to the recast EU Single Permit Directive at a future date.